PM Modi to address opening session of World Climate Action Summit

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the opening session of the World Climate Action Summit in the United Arab Emirates and participate in the three high-level side events, of which two will be co-hosted by India.

PM Modi will depart for UAE on Thursday evening and attend the summit events on Friday. The Prime Minister visited UAE in July this year.

Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to UAE here on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the Prime Minister will also attend an event related to Green Credits Initiative.

"The Prime Minister will be travelling to Dubai later this evening to attend World Climate Action Summit which is the high-level segment of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Departing later this evening, he will be attending the summit events tomorrow before returning to India later tomorrow evening," he said.

"In terms of participation at the COP28, the Prime Minister will deliver his address at the opening session of the World Climate Action Summit. Besides his address to the COP28, the Prime Minister will also be participating in three high-level side events, of which two are being co-hosted by India. The first high-level event, which is being co-hosted by India, and the UAE is the launch of the Green Credits Initiative," he added.

The Environment Ministry has introduced two pioneering initiatives that indicate India's proactive approach to climate change, and sustainability and take forward 'LiFE' - 'Lifestyle for Environment' movement announced by the Prime Minister in 2021.

The initiatives - Green Credit Programme (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme - seek to encourage environmentally friendly practices rooted in tradition and conservation reflecting the ideas of LiFE concept. Kwatra referred to the Environment Ministry notification last month and said the Green Credits Initiative is based on the Green Credit Programme.

"It basically envisions the issue of green credits for plantations on waste and degraded lands and the river catchments areas to restore their vitality," he said.

PM Modi will also attend the high-level event co-hosted by India and Sweden.

"The second (event on the sides) which is co-hosted by India and Sweden is the launch of Lead IT 2.0, leadership group for industry transition. If you recall, it was a joint initiative launched by India and Sweden in 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. Essentially, this initiative fosters collaboration among decision-makers, bringing together both the public sector and private sector with the objective of accelerating the industry transition to net zero emissions, essentially from heavy industries."

Kwatra stated that PM Modi will participate in another high-level event 'Transforming Climate Finance' which is to be hosted by the Presidency of the COP28 - UAE. The World Climate Action Summit is the High-Level Segment of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP28 is being held from November 28-December 12 under the Presidency of the UAE.

The Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC provides a unique opportunity to impart momentum for collective action towards combating the shared challenge of climate change. During the COP26 in Glasgow, PM Modi announced five specific targets, titled "Panchamrit", as India's unprecedented contribution to climate action.